10 Weird Plants You’ve Never Heard of Before

Are you tired of planting the same old flowers and shrubs as everyone else?

While they might look pretty, popular plants like roses can get seriously dull after a while.

If you want to make a real statement with your yard, you need to do more than just head down to the local garden center and grab the first plant that’s on offer.

Mother Nature didn’t hold back when designing plants, and there are tons of weird and wonderful varieties that could inspire you to go the extra mile in your home.

Ready to learn all about ten of the most weird plants out there?

Let’s do this.

1. Corpse Flower

The corpse flower is one of the rarest flowers in the world, and it can take up to seven years to bloom.

Wondering how the flower gets its name?

When in bloom, the corpse flower emits a strong odor that’s similar to a rotting corpse. This is actually a clever mechanism that attracts pollinators like dung beetles and flesh flies to the plant.

While you probably don’t fancy buying your own corpse flower anytime soon, it’s still a fascinating plant to observe.

2. Crab’s Eye

Crab’s eye is a perennial climber, named for the red seeds that make it look disconcertingly similar to a crab.

The seeds of the plant are toxic to humans and are sometimes used as beads or fillings for percussion instruments. As the seeds are very consistent in weight, they have historically been used in the weighing of gold.

Crab’s eye is native to tropical areas and is sometimes considered a weed since it grows fast and can be invasive.

This is a unique plant with an interesting history of usage.

3. Rat-Eating Pitcher Plant

The name isn’t just a quirky play on words… this plant can literally eat rats.

The plant releases a sweet nectar to attract small rodents, causing them to fall into the interior of the plant. Inside, acidic enzymes break the live rodent down, in a similar way to the human digestive system.

The rat-eating pitcher plant was discovered in the Philippines in 2009 and is considered the largest meat-eating plant in the world.

This is a plant that you certainly don’t want to mess with.

4. Flypaper Plant

Ever wish there was a natural alternative to sticking flypaper around your home?

You’ve just found it!

The flypaper plant has leaves which are sticky on both the top and the underside, causing anything that touches them to become stuck. Once stuck, the plant begins to digest whichever unfortunate insect it has trapped.

Flypaper plants aren’t as scary as other carnivorous plants, but they do have a sneaky talent for catching prey.

5. Monkey Face Orchid

Orchids are some of the most popular plants in the world, but that doesn’t mean they’re boring.

The Monkey Face Orchid is one of the weirdest varieties, with a unique marking that makes it look strikingly like the face of a monkey.

As well as looking adorable, this orchid gives off a lovely orange smell when in bloom.

If you’re getting inspired to start gardening, click here for details on different growing systems.

6. Skeleton Flower

In good weather, you might mistake the skeleton flower for a simple white woodland blossom. However, when it rains, the flower becomes transparent, giving it an eerie, skeletal look.

When the rain stops, the leaves dry out and turn back to white, like nothing ever happened. The plant grows on wooden mountainsides in cold areas of Japan, China, and the Appalachian Mountains.

If you get the chance to observe this plant during a downpour, it’s a really cool experience.

7. Whirligig African Daisy

This unique variety of African Daisy looks a lot like a retro image of a sunshine. It has long, thin petals in a ray formation, expanding into a spoon shape at the end.

The petals look really striking during the day, and they close up at night. The plant is extremely brightly colored, which helps it to attract pollinating insects.

If you’re tired of looking at regularly-shaped petals, this is a really nice plant to invest in. It’s attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds so it’s perfect if you’d like to encourage wildlife in your yard.

8. Flying Duck Orchid

Did you fall in love with the monkey face orchid? If so, you’ll love this plant.

As the name suggests, the Flying Duck Orchid resembles a duck in flight, making it really cool to observe and photograph.

The plant exists alongside a specific fungus which is only present in Australia, so you won’t find it in any other part of the world.

The flower is a pretty purple color, make it an excellent choice for spring and summer displays.

9. Magic Dogwood

Have you heard of the American Dogwood tree?

Magic Dogwood is a rare variety which originates in Mexico.

The blooms grow in a unique, twisting way that makes them look like some kind of modern art installation. No two blooms are exactly identical, so you could easily stare at one of these all day long.

If you ever encounter a rare Magic Dogwood tree, be sure to take plenty of photographs.

10. Living Stone

Living Stone succulents, also known as Lithops, are pretty special.

The grey base of the plant looks extremely similar to a solid stone, making the yellow, daisy-like blooms look like they’re popping up out of nowhere.

Succulents are easier to care for than most other plants, making them perfect if you’re not a keen gardener.

How to Find Weird Plants for Your Home

While you probably don’t fancy having a carnivorous plant in your living room or garden, there are still tons of weird plants you can use to spruce up your space.

Visit specialty garden centers or shop online to find plants that are much more interesting than your average flowers.

You could even join a local gardening club to get help and advice from enthusiasts. Getting into plants is a great hobby and a nice way to reduce stress.

Want more lists of seriously weird stuff? Check out our blog today.

Weirdomatic is the place where all weird things come to life through the amazing world of photographs – a corner of our wild imagination or the whimsical face of the reality?